by Helena Van Der Westhuizen

Using raw honey on your skin might sound weird at first, but what’s so important about it being raw? There are many benefits and surprising facts about honey, including what makes raw honey a superfood, and why it’s so good for your skin.

Honey has long been a favourite ingredients in skincare products as it helps keep the skin younger looking, improves radiance and leaves skin very smooth.

The ancient Greeks, Romans, Egyptians and East Indians all used honey in their skin care preparations. In fact, the combination of milk and honey was known as the elixir of life, and Cleopatra’s most prized beauty secret.

The Essential Vitamins + Nutrients in Raw Unfiltered Honey

• Amino Acids
• B vitamins (B6, thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid)
• Calcium
• Copper
• Iron
• Magnesium
• Manganese
• Phosphorus
• Potassium
• Sodium
• Zinc

When Honey is heated and filtered it becomes pure sucrose (sugar) and loses most of the healing benefits and nutritional value listed above. This is a HUGE reason why it’s really important to use raw honey in your food prep, as well as, your skin care and home spa recipes.

To be considered raw with 100% of the full spectrum of nutrients intact and bio-available, honey must not be heated over 38 degrees celsius.

Raw honey is unheated and unpasteurized which means the naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, enzymes and antioxidants are intact and potent. Raw honey also contains a unique insulin-type substance which helps digestion.

Raw honey has antibacterial properties that speed the healing of infections and wounds

Raw local honey is one of my favourite things to bring home when I travel. Honey varies wildly with the territory. Flavour, colour and consistency vary according to what flowers the bees are collecting their nectar from, and are influenced by factors such as the soil, topography, and climate as well. Pure honey doesn’t have an expiration date and has been found fully preserved and intact in ancient Egyptian tombs.